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Hate crime at Michigan State University

A vicious hate crime occurred in East Lansing, MI – at an off-campus party near Michigan State University – to a university sophomore.

The cruelty and ferocity of Sunday’s Anti-Semitic attack is shocking: Two males walked up to Zachary Tennen, and when he responded affirmatively to the question of whether he was Jewish, they raised their arms in a Nazi salute, yelled “Heil Hitler”, said they were part of the KKK, and then they sadistically beat him unconscious, broke his jaw, stapled his mouth into his gum, and threw him out of the party.

Witnesses to the attack at the party did not intervene. They did not to stop the beating. They did not call police. They did not call an ambulance. They simply continued to party on. When Zachary regained consciousness, he had to use a taxi to make it to a hospital for treatment of his severe injuries.

The taxi took Zachary to Lansing’s Sparrow Hospital for initial treatment. And, astonishingly, Sparrow Hospital never reported the violent assault to the police. Zachary later had to undergo surgery at a Detroit area hospital.

This vicious Anti-Semitic attack, with bystanders merely watching, is a terrifying reminder of the darkest days of the 20th century, when the brutal actions of the Nazi regime in Germany were ignored.

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’

Over the last decade, there has been growing evidence that Jewish college students are facing rising levels of anti-Semitism on campuses across the United States, with instances of students who have been intimidated, harassed, and even threatened with physical violence because of their Jewish identity or their support Israel. The State Police’s Michigan Incident Crime Reporting data reveal an increase of 21 victims of anti-Jewish hate or bias crimes in the last year, a 16% increase from the prior year.

And now, a hideous and revolting Anti-Semitic hate crime occurred at one of Michigan’s premier universities. Zachary’s civil rights were violated. And more astoundingly, there is no expression of outrage from the university over an MSU student being ferociously and violently brutalized in an Anti-Semitic attack. Is MSU investigating this Anti-Semitic hate crime in their midst?

Who are the perpetrators? Were they university students?

Was this a premeditated violent attack? Did they stalk Zachary? Few people show up at a party bringing a staple gun with them. This brutal attack has the feature of an assaultive felony with intent to maim and cause great bodily - both 10 year felony convictions under state law.

The witnesses to the brutal hate attack are guilty of lacking humanity and ethical morality. Who were they – were these witnesses university students? Were they grossly negligence or did they commit willful misconduct for failing to give Zachary aid and making a police report? Did they give any aid to the perpetrators, making them an accessory after the fact?

And, even more astounding, more shocking we’ve just learned that the East Lansing police say the assault is “likely not a hate crime”! Two males sadistically attack a student because he is Jewish, while yelling Nazi slogans – and the police says it’s “likely not a hate crime”? Do we need the United States Attorney and the Department of Justice to investigate this hate crime and civil rights violation?

The East Lansing police, city officials, and the university need to take concrete and effective steps to end harassment, intimidation, and discrimination, to prevent its recurrence, and correct a hostile environment for Jewish students. These steps should include:

•Prosecution of the brutal hate criminals

•Severe disciplinary measures by the University if the brutal hate crime perpetrators are university affiliated

•Identifying the witnesses to the brutal crime, with disciplinary measures by the University if they are students or otherwise university affiliated

•Publicly labeling the incidents as anti-Semitic

•Educating teachers, students, and the East Lansing community about the dangers of anti-Semitism and recognizing when anti-Semitism occurs

•Reporting to both statewide residents and to the MSU community what concrete actions were taken in response - and to prevent the reoccurrence of such a horrific hate crime

‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’

Sheldon L. Freilich, a Bloomfield Hills, MI resident, is Vice President of Zionist Organization of America-Michigan Region, a major Jewish and Israel advocacy organization. He is also a MSU alumnus.